In the end, coach Shin Tae-yong did it.
Indonesia, led by head coach Shin Tae-yong, defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 in the sixth Group C match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup at Gelora Bungcarno Stadium in Jakarta on the 19th (Korea time).
This marks Indonesia’s first win (one win, two draws and one loss) in the third round. It also left a meaningful mark by defeating Saudi Arabia for the first time in its history.
In the meantime, Indonesia has been inferior to Saudi Arabia with two draws and 11 losses. Although the team had a 1-1 draw under coach Shin Tae-yong in September, it was still a tough opponent.
Nevertheless, coach Shin Tae-yong went ahead and produced results. Especially since the game against Japan in the last game, there were rumors that coach Shin Tae-yong would be replaced, so his subsequent achievements were all the more valuable.
Coach Shin Tae-yong has emerged as a national hero with several achievements after taking over the head coach of Indonesia. However, after there was no victory in the third qualifying round after the last match against Japan, public opinion began to turn sharply.
“Coach Shin Tae-yong has no win yet. Should he be safe even after losing to Japan?” Indonesian media Inilla said. “Coach Shin Tae-yong can be guaranteed his term until the end of his contract. However, evaluation should be made on the results obtained against Japan.”
Another local media outlet, Radar Citubondo, shook up coach Shin Tae-yong just before the match against Saudi Arabia. “There are many opinions on social media that Shin Tae-yong should be replaced. Fans are angry that the Indonesian naturalization policy continues to show sluggish performance,” the media reported on Wednesday.
In fact, in Indonesia, hashtack keywords such as “Shin Tae-yong get out” and “Shin Tae-yong out” became a trend, and public opinion that he should lose his command eventually gained strength.
Coach Shin Tae-yong, however, did not fail. He displayed thorough counterattack soccer against Saudi Arabia, which is leading in objective performance. First of all, his concept was to secure the final position by forming a five-back structure to end the game without allowing a single goal, and then let the strikers take advantage of limited chances. 토토사이트
Manager Shin Tae-yong’s plan was in perfect harmony. Marcellino Ferdinand of Indonesia, who took over a left-footed cutback cross in the 31st minute, calmly curled his right foot to take the lead.
As a result, Saudi Arabia became more aggressive. Coach Shin Tae-yong continued to maintain defense and counterattack tactics without any urgency. Then, another opportunity opened up at 10 minutes in the second half.
Indonesia quickly launched a counterattack after cutting off Saudi Arabia’s attack, and Ferdinand, who scored the first goal, shook the net once again in chaos in front of the gate.